maybe it IS about me after all ;)

mom my ride

This is for all the minivan moms and duct tape dads. The only things missing are the personalized sports magnets on the back:

american idol

Am I the only person in the country who does not watch American Idol regularly? I have seen three songs performed this whole season, two of the songs by Chris Sligh. Sligh has been criticized by some so-called Christians for his selection of rock and roll songs for the show. But Chris Surratt, the pastor of Seacoast Church where Sligh has been music leader for more than two years, has got his back:

"He's not going to back away from the fact that he's a Christian. He's going to let that shine through in what he does."

weakest link

Facedown is coming up in April, so I have been reading Matt Redman's Facedown book this week. It's mainly about worship, but here is a thought that I underlined that can be applied in other ways:

"As for our muscles, if all 600 pulled together in one direction, we would be able to lift around 25 tons of weight."

This sentence really spoke to me as being a member of a team. If each team member is striving for the same goal, then imagine how strong that team would be. When members are moving toward another direction or agenda, the team is weak and there is no power.

Unity is so vital for a team to thrive as we have learned in our last series at TrueNorth Church. Think about the teams you are involved in. Do you help implement the vision...or are you the weakest link?

unleashed

My thoughts on the Unleash Conference that I attended at NewSpring in Anderson with other TNC peeps:

1. I was served. The volunteers were awesome! I wanted for nothing. Except Benadryl. I was not prepared for the pollen attack I got when the vent in our rental van started blowing pollen in my face during our two hour drive to Anderson. So my friend and I went searching for Benadryl. A NewSpring volunteer gave me a children’s dose out of her own purse and another volunteer went to the store and bought me a whole box! Thank you!

2. Buzzword of the breakout sessions: EMPOWER

3. Main point: The leader (pastor) owns the vision. Perry spoke of how squirrels like to dart in front of us while we are driving, causing us to steer away from our path. Such is the case when a leader is on the path toward the vision God has given them. Those who are in the way are run over like a squirrel.

4. This has been bugging me. What did that random guy toward the end of the second session put in Perry's hand? Was it money? A tip? I felt bad for Perry, because it was just plain awkward.

NewSpring had nothing to gain by putting on this conference. They sure couldn’t have made any money because the fee was almost free. It was just pure ministry to church pastors and leaders who needed a shot in the arm.

one year ago

If you know my Allison, you would not be surprised that she remembered that Socks and Frisky were born one year ago yesterday. Even I had no idea. She and Matthew and BFF Elizabeth spent yesterday afternoon drawing birthday cards for the cats and placing them where we buried them in the backyard. It was a tragic time for our family when those cats died. I blogged about it here and here.

got it goin' on

Everyone's favorite joint is now serving lunch buffet. Kacie and I went to Pizza Joint today and enjoyed the $6.50 spread, which includes about 6 choices of pizza, salad, garlic bread, and drink.

Talking about making the best even better!! Check it out!

rock and roll band

I hated to hear that Boston's lead singer, Brad Delp, was found dead in his home yesterday. Boston is one of my ALL TIME favorite bands. Their music reminds me of swimming in my pool in the '70s and being reunited with their music while in college in the '80s. The front page of the band's website declares, "We've just lost the nicest guy in rock and roll."

They are more than just another band out of Boston, they are my guitar heroes!

Speaking of guitar heroes, check out Playstation's Guitar Hero version of Boston's "More than a Feeling" (expert version, obviously!)

shot through the heart

So I was driving Allison to school this morning when I heard on the radio that Bon Jovi was in Nashville recording a (gasp!) country-inspired album. Look out Keith and Kenny!

I got to thinking of old Bon Jovi songs that could go country and this is what I came up with. My apologies to Jon and Richie and to my 80's friends who are still infatuated with them:

New Title....Old Title

She's Gittin' Outta Here......Runaway

That Stuff's Nasty!.....Bad Medicine

Love is a Four Letter Word......You Give Love a Bad Name

Talkin' to God and Hopin' He's Not Takin' a Break.....Livin' on a Prayer

I ain't goin' nowhar.....I'll Be There for You

Y'all come back now, ya hear?.....Have a Nice Day

Rottin' in Hell.....Living in Sin

Wanted Dead or Alive......Wanted Dead or Alive (Kacie says it's already country)

seasons change

We have been enjoying some spring-like weather lately, sending us all outdoors to enjoy some sunshine. The change in seasons reminds me of how creative our God is. And since we serve a creative God and we reflect his image, we should be creative as well. Church services are no exception. We are very intentional at TrueNorth Church to plan services that have different creative elements that engage people in real and relevant ways.

Because anything else would be just plain boring. And God isn't boring!

scary storm

A serious rain storm came through our area last night. It was the tree-bending, wind-whistling, electricity-killing kind. We ended up with an eighteen year old and a five year old in our bed. I have to admit that I was feeding off their fears because it was just downright scary. I wanted to go get in my daddy's bed too.

So I did.

At times like that, when you know there is absolutely nothing you can do to change a situation, you go to the One who can. All I could do to protect our kids was pray like crazy. It gave me comfort and peace.

Then the electricity came back on.